WORST CASE SCENARIO | As the hour begins, Rick — haunted by what he learned last week — imagines Carol putting an ailing Maggie out of her misery. (Who knew she was his favorite?) Next thing you know, he’s chosen Karen and what’s-his-name’s killer to accompany him on a supply run. (Coincidence? Hmm… ) Before Carol departs, she reassures Lizzie — who’s still romanticizing zombieism — that she’ll recover just fine from the flu and coaches her again on survival tactics. “Yes, Mom,” the girl says. “I mean ma’am.” Carol doesn’t make a big deal of it, but she does make a deal of it. Don’t do that again, she tells her ward. Not even as a mistake

HELL ON WHEELS | Elsewhere, Tyreese makes himself such a road hazard to Daryl, Michonne and Bob that Michonne finally asks him point blank, “Are you trying to die?” She knows he’s full of rage over Karen’s murder. (Less so over what’s-his-name’s.) However, she’s quick to note, “Anger makes you stupid. Stupid gets you killed.” By and by, that logic — coupled with Daryl’s jibes about how it’s not so hard to get to know people when you stick around one place for a while — convinces Michonne to give up following the Governor’s (cold) trail. (Which has to mean we’ll be seeing ol’ One-Eye again any week now, right?)

FRESH MEAT | Raiding suburban houses for aspirin and string cheese (probably not their literal grocery list), Rick and Carol meet a young couple who, in spite of his dislocated shoulder and her bum leg, have managed thus far to elude what they call the “skin-eaters.” While the newbies set off in search of supplies to prove their competency to Rick, Carol encourages the jailhouse survivors’ former leader to step up anew. “You can be a farmer,” she says. But “you can’t JUST be a farmer.” (Perhaps to underscore that point, the girl newbie — who seems as likely to stab a walker in the head as kiss one on the mouth — is soon discovered being eaten. And, to add injury to insult, missing her bum leg.)

DRINK FOR THOUGHT | While scoring new wheels at a garage staffed by the walkerized family that ran it, Daryl surprises Bob with his lack of empathy for the undead, who committed suicide in the wake of the zombpacalypse. However, Daryl DOES cut Bob a break when he admits that he went on the ill-fated Big Spot run just to pocket some liquor — an endeavor that killed Beaver Casablancas, no less! So, when Bob risks his life not for the medicine the foursome finally scores at the veterinary school but for yet another bottle of booze, Daryl’s fury is damn near as scary as Tyreese’s. (Now that is gonna be one long-ass ride back to prison!)

HIT THE ROAD | Finally, the episode ends with a crushing blow. After Rick and Carol have one brutal heart-to-heart after another — about everything from their late spouses to Karen and what’s-his-name’s murders (“You don’t have to like what I did,” Carol offers) — he informs her that she won’t be accompanying him back to the prison. Carol has an answer for everything — why she did it, what Rick would have done in her shoes, the threat of Tyreese throttling her. But, in the end, none of it matters. “I won’t have you there,” Rick states with finality, his leadership hat clearly back on. Offering cold comfort, he tells Carol that she’s strong, she’ll meet new people, she’ll make it. All she says in response is, “Maybe.”

Okay, your turn.Were you surprised that Rick banished Carol? He may have saved her from Tyreese, but who’s gonna save Rick from Daryl when he finds out? Personally, I’m gonna miss Carol — and Melissa McBride — like crazy (assuming they’re both really gone). As the character evolved, she became one of my favorites.

The problem isn’t that something bad has happened. The problem is that they’re throwing away good characters just to give the overused Rick something to do when he’s the character they should kill off. The show is called “The Walking Dead” not “The Rick Show”.

Bravo….. Bravo…
Ok Rick lost his wife, everyone lost someone it seems Rick is the only one who can’t handle the lose of a loved one and move on. So does this make him the weak link???? If so Rick it’s time to go getting rid of Carol was a big mistake BIG.
I think Carol did the right thing she seems more of a leader than Rick. Little Kick Ass is more of a leader than Rick.

Rick got rid of Carol for the same reason Carol taught the kids to defend themselves: he can’t lose Lori all over again, just like Carol can’t lose Sophia all over again.
To bring her back home was a death sentence, if not by Tyreese then by the Council or the flue, but most likely by Tyreese and Rick couldn’t deal with it. Same as Carol taught the kids not to be afraid to defend themselves so that Sophia wouldn’t happen again, Rick left Carol behind so thatr Lori would not happen again.

I think what you are missing is Carol became too cold blooded. The writers showed us that with the young couple they found in the house. Rick said they should stay put but Carol told them to go out and find stuff. Rick knew it could get them killed and so did Carol but she didn’t care. Rick still does. If being human makes him weak then what has Carol become being cold and uncaring? And let’s be straight. They didn’t kill her. She’s out in the world. She can/will pop up again. There’s all the spin off coming so maybe they want to populate this WD world.

I think you’re missing Rick’s line about not trusting her with his children. He has no business trusting Carol with his children: she’s not his wife, that was Lori.
The only reason Rick would use that line on a woman that has never been his wife is because he doesn’t want Lori to ever happen again (Rick could not handle it).

I think you are wrong… Rick has been through a lot more than anyone else. First off waking up from a coma to find out that world had gone down the drain. He had to be the leader for the past 3 seasons and lose his wife and best-friend in the process. I know that everyone has lost someone but all the decisions made in order to save the group was made by who? RICK. So cut the guy a break! He’s traumatized and killing zombies has mentally and physically deteriorated his state of well being. I hate that he banished carol but if you think about it he gave her a chance to live because there is no doubt in my mind that Tyreese would’ve killed her. But i have a feeling she’s gonna return. Maybe one day they’ll stumble upon a group and find her in it or i don’t know but i still have hope.

But that’s not why people watch TV. Clever things make people feel stupid, and unexpected things make them feel scared. You see? TV audiences don’t want anything original. They wanna see the same thing they’ve seen a thousand times before.

those are the two I disliked so I’m happy. But where Andrea’s death was foolish (the cuffs) Carol had to go. She murdered two of their own….she got ta go. Now this makes room for those three new characters we know are coming midseason.

They were not their own they were new people Rick decided to take when he rejected many before. I think Carol did the right thing now too many are dying. Karen was one of the first with the flu and Tyresse is a love fool if she wasnt killed off he would have got bitten and be a zombie himself

I don’t think we are watching the same show. When Rick took in the Woodbury people it was a big change for his character and the end of his “I’m the leader” arch. He and his group knew they couldn’t survive this world alone. When Rick made his moves as the leader that was his right and the group wanted that from him. Now they have a comity (that Carol was a pat of) and they vote on the big choices to be made… What Carol did was Crazy Town murder. Why would Rick want someone like that around his kids? If Carl was first to get sick what would Carol have done then? I don’t think Rick wanted to find out. What Rick did for Carol was the kindest thing he could do for her.

They weren’t their own? Are you serious? Despite the fact that we weren’t able to see the progression of the characters, Karen earned her right there just as much as anyone. Not to mention the blatant fact that you don’t kill someone just b/c they are weak or could be a threat. They were sectioned off and quarantined. If they died, or turned, THEN kill them. They weren’t doing anything that put anyone in immediate danger. The virus was already spreading, and killing them was too far. Carol lacks all humanity. She’s cold, calculated, and shows sociopathic tendencies. She showed zero remorse for what she did. She’s a threat to their group at the prison. Yes, I understand why she thought it was the right thing to do, but she reacted prematurely and there was nothing “right” about what she did. I think that Rick sent her away for a number of reasons. I think that while he doesn’t like or accept what she did, he’s still trying to help save her, and sending her away was his way of doing that. If Carol stepped foot back in the prison, she was as good as dead. Regardless of whether Rick kept her secret, there’s only so long you can hide something that big. It’s bound to come out eventually, and when it did, Carol was done for. At least now she has a fighting chance. At the same time, she’s not to be trusted. She took what SHE thought to be a threat to everyone in the prison, and she eliminated it. Wasn’t the counsel put together for a reason? She took the lives of two people b/c she felt it was how it should be. Two innocent people. I don’t know about anyone else, but I would rather her be off on her own than having to live in close quarters with her.

But that’s not why people watch TV. Clever things make people feel stupid, and unexpected things make them feel scared. You see? TV audiences don’t want anything original. They wanna see the same thing they’ve seen a thousand times before.

I really love this formerly mousy woman and how she has slowly become more assertive and center stage…some other poster at another site has pointed out she is listed as being a paid cast member the rest of the season at IMB and is in next week’s preview…several folks have posted they think her change of path might lead to the Governor and a possible spin-off series which has me very hopeful for her story and character!

After finally giving Carol a huge char development after being sidelined since the beginning of the show, they kick her out. Worst case scenario: the Governor finds her and executes her in front of the prison. Damn. >_<

That wasn’t Maggie he was imagining, that was Karen. The credits have Melissa Ponzio listed so it had to be her. He was just imagining Carol actually killing Karen then imagining Carol doing it again to Maggie.

Ugh. It was heartbreaking to see an original drive the other way from the prison. I’m still hoping Carol is covering for someone. Maybe the oldest girl she has “adopted” she made a point to say she wasn’t afraid to kill. I’m hoping that’s what happens and Rick finds out.

That’s probably why she wanted to take the girls with her. I think she will return to the prison to take the girls and the truth will come out. Tyrrese will attack her, Daryl will save her, and one of the girls will be exposed.

I never really liked carol to begin with she seems a lil off being the victim of all those beatings from her husband so Maby she will live Maby she will die personally idk and I don’t care :/ she annoyes me to much

You might want to discover the life beyond your walls. Being annoyed by a character to the point that you reveal such callousness to a situation that some women go through in their lives is sick. I really feel sorry for you.

Why is it bad to feel something for a person in a TV Show? You’re generalizing it too much. You’re implying that they can’t differentiate between reality and fiction, and this isn’t the case, at all. Relating to and feeling something for a fictional character just proves how sensitive and sympathetic and human a person can be. I cried when Rue died in the Hunger Games; I cried when Katniss mentioned Rue in the second movie, for God’s sake. Am I a sorry excuse for a human being for feeling sorrow for someone who died, real or not? I did the same thing for Andrea when she died, even though she died in the stupidest way possible. I’ll did the same thing when my grandpa and my uncle died. And I can differentiate between which was a real person and which wasn’t. I’m glad I can connect to characters and people alike and can be compassionate when it comes to each individual.

I’m sorry I can feel emotion and am not callous and jaded enough to toss aside a character as if they don’t matter. Writers have literally poured their life into making these characters as believable and realistic as possible, which is why it’s so easy to get attached to them and so easy to relate to what they’ve been through. I know they aren’t real people and I know they never will be, but that doesn’t mean I can’t care for them and be disappointed whenever they die or are left to die.

To get on topic, the person who replied to the post above you was making an instance in which the other guy for being so crass and ignorant of domestic abuse. Carol was abused and, just because she’s a character, doesn’t make it any different from real life instances. The character has been pained, which makes her relatable to people who have gone through the same ordeal and have become tougher for it, as Carol has done. But that guy has accused her of being too twisted in the head because of it, when that wasn’t the case for her overly cold behavior. Carol has been through as much as Rick has, losing her husband, though he was abusive, and her daughter, of which she loved very much. Why is it that one can’t relate something that was obviously made to bring up the issue of domestic abuse and compare it to real world instances? Isn’t that what shows, movies, and books do? Don’t they allude to real world instances in a clever, poignant way? Isn’t that what people are supposed to get when they watch/read material? To get what the message is, whether that is personified through a character or through the plot or other means at the writer’s discretion?

What would you have done in Carol’s situation? I’m talking about all of it, too: Sophia’s death, her husband dying, her husband’s abuse, the recent season’s arc for her?

This episode had me sooo bored. The only good thing about it were Daryl and Michonne’s scenes together. Bob and Tyrese were pretty good too. That held my interest.

The Carol thing just seems so out of nowhere. It’s like they are trying to convince the viewers that Carol is a bad ass. That’s not her character. You can be strong without being a psycho path. I’m just not interested in the story at all. I would rather watch a full episode of flashbacks of Michonne and Daryl hunting the governor. I also agree with the Derek, the governor needs to come back to shake things up.

It makes sense. She was a domestic abuse victim her whole life. She never had control or was too afraid to because of what might happen to her daughter. She is empowered by having the will to protect people through even the barbaric ways possible. That’s what Rick saw in her and that’s why he let her go. She’s headed to GovTown and will be a complete psychopath. And The Governor will be hunting Michonne not the other way around. Michonne is in trouble. I see torture in her future.

Thank you!!!!! I tried to type that myself but I was just too ticked off. The only thing Rick is “right” about is that he is no longer qualified to lead. I think his “real” problem is that Carol was proving to be a better leader than he was. It was not his place to make this decision on his own. They have a governing body in place – and thus far, he has declined participation.

On another note, I do wish this show would move a little faster. They could actually wrap up one of these “road trips” in one episode… Yeesh.

Carol was part of a council but took matters into her own hands, without remorse or regret. Rick was eaten up by remorse and regret and took a step back to try to save his humanity. When Rick was making the hard decisions and heading toward the deep end, you complain he is being a poor leader. But when Carol loses her humanity and kills, thereby truly becoming the walking dead you applaud her and hold her to the highest regard?

And Rick didn’t “take matters into his own hands” by unilaterally deciding to banish Carol? Also, in what part of Mare’s post does she (?) “applaud (Carol) and hold her in the highest regard?” The analogy is apt. Rick is a jerk.

Agreed. But I also agree that Carol is becoming too cold and too callous, as well. She needs to take a breather and I think her leaving is going to be a good thing for her. But, I also think Rick needs to step up his game if he wants to keep the rest of his crew alive. And that he’s also a jerk and should have thought this over better, possibly kept Carol safe in some way while they discussed what they were going to do with her.

It’s just too bad Rick doesn’t have another scapegoat (Shane) to alleviate him of making a hard decision again. But, then that would mean Carol would die and I don’t really want that.

It will never happen, because the whole thing is basically thru his character, but it’s time for Rick to go, The best word to describe what Rick has is chutzpah. Maybe what Carol did was wrong, but she was the one who helped with the baby and helped to keep everyone safe. Never mind that Tyrese will be furious that Rick let Carol go, but Darryl is going to freak when he finds out that Rick kicked her out. Stay Tuned!

Rick didn’t stab Carol by surprise, nor chained her to the roof of a zombie infested home. There was no drama, no face-off under the moonlight, no betrayal of any kind. He just looked at her right in the eyes and told her to leave the other way, which tells me Rick never saw Carol the way he saw Shane or Merle. He accepted what she did, but no one else will. Hence the banishment.

Exactly! Probably the smartest response to this whole issue I have read. Rick had absolutely no choice but to banish Carol. These people are desperately hanging onto their humanity, from Rick’s perspective having almost lost his last season he can see in Carol that she has lost hers. They are looking to rebuild a community and Carol had responsibilities at the prison. Rick can’t have people there going around killing anyone they see as a threat,because clearly Carol didn’t think it through when she did this. Everyone in the prison had already been exposed and Carol should have been smarter when dealing with an illness (Which is why I don’t think it was Carol who did this)

Something that I believe strongly about this show is that it’s not about heroes or villains. It’s about struggling to hold on to your humanity while facing the odds against your own survival. Rick’s decision was heartbreaking to have to make, but he recognized Carol’s descent into darkness as sure as he saw it in Shane. So why let the situation get any worse? Even in the horrific world these characters have to live in, people are not expendable pawn pieces to be sacrificed at will for what one person believes is the so called greater good. Carol’s action were eerily similar to Shane’s horrific sacrifice of the man who accidentally shot Carl. Who gave her the right to judge that their lives were ready to be ended at that point?

Thing is: if Daryl doesn’t get back with the meds in the next two episodes, it won’t matter who’s left there’d not be enough people to make a community with. Rick was optimistic his children could make it, but the truth is that everyone in there may be dead by the time Carol finds a new group.

I think you’re just looking at this as a Rick hater. Honestly, he made some good points. He wasn’t just forcing her to leave because he wanted to be an arse, but he really thought that she would be in danger if she went back to the prison. Tyreese would have tried to kill her, no doubt. Everyone who knew about the murders were completely unhappy with what happened, even Daryl. Daryl specifically mentioned that the murderer deserved whatever Tyreese gave them, to Tyreese. She would have not been welcomed back with open arms.

With Merle, I think you’re forgetting that Rick didn’t want him there. Daryl did. And Rick only allowed him to stay because of Daryl, and mostly because Daryl promised that he would keep an eye on Merle and make sure he didn’t do anything. Rick gave Carol the entire trip to prove that she wouldn’t act on her own volition like that again, and she proved to be completely indifferent to the entire situation. Did you see how cold she was about the two hippies? Sam, I think his name was, is probably dead and all she said was, ‘to bad, that was a nice watch’. He was basically giving Carol the three question test, the entire episode, that he gives all possible newcomers and she failed.

Also he killed Shane because Shane was trying to kill him. Self defense is a completely different then murdering innocent people and burning their bodies. And even though Shane spent almost two full seasons setting his ‘best friend’ up to die, and ultimately trying to murder him to be with his Rick’s wife, Rick still felt TERRIBLE that he killed that psychotic scumbag. Carol killed two innocent people and felt absolutely nothing.

I will agree, however, that what his son did was just as bad, if not worse, than what Carol did, but it’s always going to be different circumstances when it comes to family. There is a HUGE difference between casting out your own flesh and blood and casting out someone who you didn’t know until the zombie apocalypse.

My opinion, on the matter, is that Rick probably shoudn’t have kicked her to the curb without talking to the counsel first, but ultimately he did what he thought was right, and had valid reasons to do so. He wasn’t just being ‘a big stinking hypocrite’ or ‘a jerk’.

I agree. Neither of them was completely right about their choices and Carol was just not herself. Yes, she was changing but in this episode and the last one the change was almost unnatural. Carol’s character development went all to s**t, I liked her at first but now she’s just unnaturally different. Nobody changes that quick into a cold-blooded killer, especially Carol when she had nothing to force her to do so.

Exactly! Finally someone realizes, Rick’s psycho kid has gotten away with murder for fun, and now everyone’s thinking he’s fine. But Carol killed to protect them all; she didn’t want to, but she did it. Someone had to man up and take care of the group. Rick was to busy wimping out and trying his hand a farming, pretending there aren’t walkers 50 feet from his garden. I hope Daryl freaks out on Rick, and he and Hershel agree with what she did. Hopefully Carol comes back, the counsel makes a decision and they put Tyrant Rick in his place. Knock it off goody two shoes, you’ve killed people (Tomas, Shane, two losers in bar) to protect them too.

Carl did not just kill that kid for fun. Did we watch the same scene? That kid was inching forward with the gun pointed at Carl looking shifty as he1l. What was Carl supposed to do? That kid could have easily gotten close enough to Carl, shot him or even just hit him with that big gun and then all of them, Carl, Beth, Hershel, and Judith would have been dead.

I never blamed Carl for killing that kid. I felt a threat there just watching that scene. The “kid” didn’t listen or respond to commands to put down the weapon and made a move closer with the weapon in hand. Carl isn’t going to grow into the young man his parents visioned before all this. His life experience was clearly stated when he said people die if you don’t put down a threat. These kids are coming of age in a new era.

I Agree. Rick allowed Merle back into the group after he had been betraying them and did nothing to help Glen or Maggie. I don’t agree with what Carol did, but can understand why! Rick has made lots of mistakes and he went off the rails for a while. He says that Carol should have discussed it with the counsel, yet he hasn’t discussed her banishment with them! He says that he doesn’t trust her with his children, which doesn’t make sense, as the very act that she did was because she wanted to save the group, making Carol a person who would protect his children!!!!

With Merle, I think you’re forgetting that Rick didn’t want him there. Daryl did. And Rick only allowed him to stay because of Daryl, and mostly because Daryl promised that he would keep an eye on Merle and make sure he didn’t do anything. There’s a 50/50 thing with what Carol did, I understand she did that to protect the group, and truth be told I would to the same thing, but with her character you can see that she was losing her humanity. What she did with the two hippies just wasn’t right. She knew they were going to die and yet allowed them to join them. I think Rick did a smart thing with letting Carol go. Who knows what else she was going to do. Besides Rick knew if Carol went back to the prison, what his face Tyreese was going to kill her. He basically kind of saved her life.

I’m with you. Though I don’t see Daryl going after Rick. Daryl did say to Ty that who ever did this deserved a bullet. But I could be wrong and I guess it all depends what Rick tells every one. I really didn’t want this to happen, Carol was my second favorite character. I’m sad.

So I suppose living with a murderer is something you have no problems with. I on the other hand would be terrified to be around Carol she’s a loose canon and can not be trusted. Rick did the absolute correct thing.

I liked that they were allowing Carol to develop into a strong woman. But she did cross a line by executing FRIENDS because she assumed they were a threat. That’s the bottom line. I certainly hope she comes back. I think she could possibly earn her way back on the show (at least in our eyes). But one of my problems with her character at the moment is that she has no remorse. Yes, you have to toughen up (emotionally and physically) to survive in the zombie apocalypse. But if THAT is the way everyone has to become, I don’t want to keep watching. This is about the balance to survive, make tough decisions, but NOT lose your soul in the process. Might as well join the Gov’na!
P.S. … I KNEW Lizzie wasn’t really the psycho killer Carol was covering for! :)

Eh, I think Carol made a tough choice. I think the show constantly points out that lines between right and wrong are often blurry and keep changing every day. I am not excusing her, but Rick has essentially banished her to death. How is she to survive on her own? She doesn’t deserve a trial or a vote? They had no problem voting to see if that kid in the barn in Season 2 deserved to die?

Re the “tough choice,” I’m not sure enough was made over the fact that killing those two didn’t solve anything. If they die quickly of the “flu” and THEN are killed, how is that any less hygienic or helpful for the group? Carol acted like those were the only two sick people, but they and others (and the kid with glasses who died first) had been mingling and coughing all over the place. She did not save anyone by eliminating those two!

Lyn, I totally agree. Murder is not a resolution under any circumstance. I am just saying the choice was tough and there was no easy answer. I am also not being chased by zombies and watching people die like flies, so there’s that… ;)

I totally agree also. But I also think Rick knew that there would be no vote where Ty was concerned, maybe also the others. I wonder why he didn’t kick Carl out for killing that kid who was going to give up. They all have the living’s blood on their hands in one way or the other. Hmmm, I guess what ever Rick wants is the only thing that matters.

Sophia B. I do wonder about Ty. Honestly, when he’s not trying to commit suicide – he’s a big softy. I think the character could have gone either way. Darryl, Hershel wouldn’t have voted out Carol. I am not sure about the others, but it would have been interesting drama to watch…

That’s not remorse. Carol has expressed frustration (by dumping the water jugs) for what I believe is the fact that she killed those two people but it didn’t stop the disease, which was why she did it. She said she wished she didn’t HAVE to do it, not that she wished she HADN’T done it. Remorse would be if she regretted it to the extent that she wouldn’t do it again under the same circumstances – but I believe she would.

Then again, Karen and David were as dead as Patrick, it was only a matter of hours before the would turn.
We could spin this whole scenenario time and again, and it would always end in the same way: with Karen and David bleeding to death.

Maybe you’re right. But they didn’t know for certain everyone would die of that sickness as quickly as Patrick did. She played God by taking the lives of LIVE people, who supposedly were her friends, because she saw them as a potential threat. She crossed a line – just like Shane had started doing. Justifying her actions through her own experiences. But those two people were LOCKED up and not an immediate threat.
Carol has lost her way. She MURDERED two human beings (I don’t care how you try to justify it) – AND without qualm or remorse afterward. Whether she can eventually come back to the group after this, I don’t know. But I’m sure we will see her later. I really hate the writers did this to her character, but they did. We’ll see if she can redeem herself.
And by the way, we’re ALL going to die. I don’t want someone sleeping next to me (like Rick and the others are on TWD) choosing when it’s my time.

Okay here we go…….All you people say you WON’T watch the show anymore cause carol is OUT? She maybe gone ‘for now’ but i think she’ll be back. Although to me i felt that she DESERVED to be let go she was so DAMN COLD everything she was saying was like WTF?! She was bitch when what’s her face called her mom. I understand carol was trying to not have that emotional/mother like feeling towards the girl and her sister. But all of her FEARS and being WEAK ended with sophia. Carol has become like michonne from last season like they switch places.

We’re allowed to have opinions and be passionate. We all have our favorites, and there’s no reason to suffer through episode after episode where our favourite isn’t around. Get a grip. We don’t need your permission to have an opinion.

Thnak you!……. Hell i have my favorites on this show as well if one them bites the dust then so be it….i would STILL watch to see what happens next and how this will all end.
That person NEEDS to just shut the hell up!

AshleyRae, honey, not everyone is going to agree with you, and not everyone is going to continue watching a show once their fave is gone like you do (like a crack addict). Please get a grip and stop insulting people, dear.

That’s it, I’m done. The show is off my DVR. I’m not watching The Walking Dead without Carol—-she is my favorite character. I also love her with Daryl. I’ve reached my limit with Rick. I started to hate him last season, and just when he was starting to become a better character, he reverted back to being a pathetic, spineless, hypocritical @$$hole. At least Carol isn’t dead like Andrea. I hope she comes back!

Who says I’m going to read the synopsis or post? I’ll skim the article for mentions of Carol’s return. If she’s not back, I won’t post. If she is back, I’ll be posting how happy I am! What’s it to you, anyway? You don’t know me. Why are you so invested in whether or not I watch this show? Creepy.

Nice amount of assuming you’ve done. Why must you constantly go after those who make a comment you don’t agree with? Just let it go, make your comments and engage with those who offer something you can really respond to. Whether or not someone chooses to continue watching or continues to comment negatively shouldn’t really matter to you. You enjoy the show so focus on that and ignore those who don’t.

Wipe your tears away. She’ll be back she is like a cold she just keeps on coming back. Oh but I forgot you wont find out because you will not be watching the show anymore. Here i’m in the mood to help if you go on you tube you can just search Carol TWD and watch her all day. Hope that makes your day.

Hm… I can’t decide who is more annoying on this road trip. Tyrese constantly trying to kill himself or Bob reaching for his gun to protect his liquor. Look, I will put up with a lot dumb shiznit on this show, but Darryl is off friggin’ limits. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to rant about that … :)

Yes! Bob threatin Daryl and had his hand on his gun over a bottle of whiskey. And they still brought him back. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT!!!! Daryl even told him, “You should of kept on walking.”. I don’t trust him at all. He was the last standing in both of his groups that he was in..dum dee dum dum That has to mean something. TWD still doesn’t have their serial killer kid (Ben) and prisoner (Thomas) from the comic. So I’m wondering if they desiced not to have one at all. At first I thought it may be Lizzy or her sister. I just don’t trust Bob.

The thing that makes this Carol story irritating is that we know this expulsion isn’t going to last. Besides being an original, Carol and Daryl are insanely popular….

This reminds me of Aiden trying to get in good with Victoria on Revenge. Even when the showrunner said that Aiden was serious in turning on Emily, none of us bought it because he didn’t reveal that Emily was Amanda. So instead we just rolled our eyes or fast forwarded through those scenes (well, at least I did).

Whatev. Loved seeing Carol toughen up, but this is turning into Andrea 2.0 – just stupidly activist as opposed to stupidly pacifist.

Normally, I would agree that a show would hesitate to destroy a popular character/couple. But this isn’t that kind of show. I would be surprised now if Carol makes it to the end of the season, though I do think she will be back. That won’t keep me from watching but I am disappointed at how a character I like so much has been seriously damaged.

I agree with you, Dr. O. My problem is I’m too much of an idealist. I know things are bad in this apocalypse, but I still want my “heroes” to be heroes. No, they aren’t perfect, but they strive. Rick has been extremely annoying, especially last season. And I am glad they are making Carol stronger. But Carol is now broken after what she did – and MOST IMPORTANTLY – with her lack of emotion or regret. I with agree with you, Dr. O, that I wish they hadn’t broken her “permanently” by making her do something so horrible that we (and Rick et al.) are faced with either accepting her horrible, arbitrary decision, or she has to go. If she’s going to make decisions like that, how can you trust her? Would she kill Carl in his sleep if she saw him as a threat? That seems to be her justification: if it’s a threat, anything goes. As I’ve said before, what makes that thinking any better than the Governor??!?
I agree Rick can be annoying, but when faced with the fallout when the group learns what Carol did – AND he no longer trusts her – Rick did the one thing he thought was best for everyone. He didn’t KILL Carol. And he didn’t sentence her to death and the group to inner turmoil by telling everyone the truth (though maybe he didn’t have the right to make that decision for everyone … I don’t know).

Carol is popular because of Daryl. I don’t think anything would change if she died. TWD killed off Shane and he was pretty popular too. I don’t see them keeping Carol around just because some fans want to see Carol and Daryl get together. If they decide to kill her, they will do it.

Lets be real. Every character has a fan base that is solely theirs, but the majority of Carol fans are Daryl fans first. They want Daryl with Carol so she gains fans based on how she ties into Daryl’s storyline.

To me the writers have always been incredibly true to the narrative of the show. The world these characters inhabit is a nightmare that would have a profound effect on anyone’s psyche. Carol is a good person, but she was already fragile from the years of abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband. It seems she reached a point where she was vastly overcompenstating her self proclaimed weakness in the past by becoming a cold and calculating survivalist. Rick recognized Carol was losing her empathy while they talked with the two kids they came across. As sad as the situation is, it was only a matter of time before she became as dangerous as Shane had become to the group. The person she has become is no good in a community where compassion is one of the most important things people can convey to one another.

Personally. I like Carol because of Carol: from that frightened housewife that did laudary, to the grieving widow that lost her daughter, to the woman Rick held in his arms the dat after he lost his wife. She’s Carol, the same mother of Carl’s dead friend, the best friend of Rick’s dead wife, the last surviving member of her own family.

You are right, Riddle. I liked Carol for all those reasons, as well as the new Carol who was secretly training the children to defend themselves.
But to those Carol-defenders-and-Rick-haters, the Carol who slaughtered two GOOD people before the group had a full grasp of the situation – AND lied to their faces without remorse or a blink – THAT Carol I don’t like. That Carol I wouldn’t trust either. I wish to goodness they hadn’t done that to her character. If she had to make a bad decision, let it be she stalked them until they turned and then killed and burned them. Okay. But to kill defenseless human beings, friends who trusted her while they slept (UNLIKE Shane, who had a gun, or that armed kid Carl killed who was surrendering). That’s not something I can get past. Even in a zombie apocalypse. Trust is a critical and fragile thing. And that also goes for those who think Rick should have just kept Carol’s secret from the group.

Every body seems okay that Carol was teaching the kids how to kill—without asking anyone else’s opinions, especially their parents or the council. Not only was she teaching them how to kill, she was taking away that time put aside for the children to “just be kids”. That time that everyone had agreed was to help the kids retain their humanity, to be kids as much as possible in this new world. She asked Carl specifically to not tell his Dad. She was making decisions based on her belief that she knows best, and going against the decisions that had already been made. I personally would have had weapons training and classroom time and play time. But I would have proposed that to the group and gotten parental permission. These kids need to know how to protect themselves, but that is not all they need. And they don’t need to learn HOW TO KEEP SECRETS from their parents and others. I think if it had just been killing Karen and “no name”, trying to stop an outbreak, I think Rick might have given her the reason of doubt. But after knowing that A. Karen was teaching kids how to kill and giving them weapons without anyone else’s knowledge and B. Told Carl to lie to his father (or by omission not tell his father) Rick knew that Carol was becoming dangerous. IMO. Thanks.

I actually agree with you 100%, Kitty. I just at least understood why Carol was training the kids to defend themselves – she lost her daughter precisely because she WAS still naive and childlike. The murdering of friends thing, though, totally crossed the line.

So, Carol has to go after making a tough-but-ultimately-necessary choice when she knew that Rick couldn’t/wouldn’t, but Carl gets stick around after committing cold-blooded unjustifiable murder? Oooookaaaay . . .

First, Carl is a kid! Carol is a an adult! Carl had his gun taken away for months and Rick gave up leadership to try and save his humanity and that of his son. No matter if Carol is your favorite character, the show is about Rick and how he fights to survive in this world for himself and his son, and how the actions of others shape his existence in this nightmare, as well as his son. It is not the Caryl show, the Glaggie show, the Michonne show, etc., eventhough some of these are my favourites, too.

Rick’s “rules” are and continue to be ambiguous. He and his son are murderers so that cannot be the only criteria with which one is judged anymore. It smacks of hypocrisy and lack of introspection of any kind. It also makes him look kinda dumb. I am implying the answers aren’t that “easy” for one person – and that is why they “need” a counsel to govern at this point. This was not Rick’s decision to make as he has abdicated the leadership role.

Just because Rick doesn’t believe he is the right person to be the sole leader of this group anymore doesn’t mean he’s completely lost the ability to take a leadership role when the situation calls for it. With many of the leaders out on a trip, and Hershel in the sick room, Rick saw a threat to the delicate well-being of the group (physical safety as well as emotional balance), and he made a decision. I agree that I wanted to choke him most of last season, but I think someone above was correct when they said Rick saw Carol going to a dark place he was fighting to return from. The difference is Carol shows no remorse for killing two human beings, while his need to kill Shane (in self defense) nearly cost him his sanity because of regret.
And I’m scratching my head at the comments here that equate the deaths Rick has caused with what Carol did. His killings were justified in self defense. Carol killed two innocent, DEFENSELESS people in their sleep. Two very different things, even if Karen and David were going to die soon – a fact, I still argue she couldn’t know for sure. Glenn has already lasted more than she gave Karen.
That said, I truly hope they find a way to bring Carol back and let her obtain redemption. We’ll see.

I hope the writers don’t make the same mistake with Carol as they did with Angela. The basically made the audience hate Angela by the end of the season with out they made her character so drawn out in the plot. Feel like their going to make a loved character like Carol, and make her unlikable

She didn’t die…yet. We know she’ll be back in some way. People always threaten to stop watching but deep down know they won’t. You want to see what becomes of Carol just like everybody else. I do love the emotions it brings out in us though. Really shows the impact these characters have on us.

check out next week’s trailer as someone posted Carol was in it….just because she’s banished doesn’t mean her character isn’t still a major part of the story…just because Andrea got left behind by the group a couple seasons ago she stuck around and was the key to introducing Michonne and the Governor and subsequent townsfolk like Tyrese that are current cast members…so who knows where she will go and what further positive or negative personality changes she still has ahead

I think that, tough as the choice might be, Rick made the right call. You can’t just kill people because they might be a threat – in that world, everyone might be a threat. Rick and Carol both walk the thin line of what makes a “good” leader – neither of them really walk on it, but I’d err on the side of Rick this time. And honestly, Carol could make it on her own out there, but if she came back to the prison, I think it would only be a matter of time before Tyrese took her out.
Ya know, I wouldn’t be completely surprised if Carol somehow ran into the Governor and figured out how to get rid of him, or help the others get rid of him. If her character is still going to be on the show, that is pretty much the only way I can think of that all the others would take her back.

It’s absolutely what is going to happen. And then Tyrese is going to find out Rick let her go and he is going to go after her because her sister will be dead and he’ll lose his mind again. Michonne feeling responsible for Tyrese because of their heart to heart will go with him. The Governor will capture them both and Carol will be with him and perhaps sleeping with him because she is detached from decency now. She will figure The Governor will keep her alive and do the necessary things to survive. Then Carol will realize her humanity is not completely lost and set them free and kill The Governor. It might be too late and Tyrese will be killed and Michonne will have been tortured for killing Penny. This will make Carol feel too guilty to live on so after she either frees Michonne or finds out what he did because she was too cold to help them, she will commit suicide. Then Rick will go after Tyrese and Michonne and have a run-in with The Governor and take him out, realizing in the Finale that he has to be violent and detached from feeling. This will set up Season 5 as Rick continues to become more and more beastly. Also, The Governor could come back and kill Beth, Herschel, Glenn, Carl and Judith at the prison. But The Governor is not going to let Michonne go without some punishment for killing Penny after he gave himself up as long as she didn’t hurt her. That was his decision to make, not hers, even if he did try to kill her. There will be some justifiable vengeance. But back to the original subject, Carol is DEFINITELY going to be with The Governor and his group. They think on the same level now on how to survive. ANd besides being ruthless, The Governor is very seductive and charming. He is so smart and thinks 5 steps ahead while at the same time getting into the mind of his prey or subjects he uses to get what he wants, which is usually death and total consolidation of absolute power. The Governor owns. Not going to lie, he is my favorite character. The only way Rick is going to survive is to think and act exactly as The Governor acts, except not sacrifice the innocents. Right now he is trying to find a balance between self-control and necessary evils that will keep people he cares about safe. That means killing people who may not be psychos like The Governor, but are on the wrong side of their war. I LOVE THIS SHOW!! It’s the perfect connection and would almost be perfectly written. The best thing I can say about this show is all of these theories we’re talking about. It’s a testament to the writing and the concept of the show as a whole and the characters are just brilliantly developed.

What a heartbreaking episode. I love Carol so seeing her banished from the prison hurt, but I’m confidant will see her again. With that said I thought this episode has some interesting developments, Carol being banished is going to be exciting to see how it affects the people at the prison, especially Daryl and Lizzie. I’m not crazy about Bob and his alcoholism, but the rest of that storyline was great. I see Ricks point of view, but tbh he comes off a bit hypocritical, since he let Merle live at the prison after he killed countless innocents.

Yeah good point. He let Merle stay because he could do his dirty work for him which Merle even pointed out Rick’s motives. He knew how Rick’s mind was working because he was twisted himself. He also let him stay because Daryl too would do dirty work for him. He’s like a delegating Governor himself in the 3rd season. Now he’s taken himself out of the politics.

No, Rick let Merle stay because he trusted Daryl, and Daryl wanted him there and would watch Merle. Period.
So much of what’s missing in the debate here by some people is the issue of TRUST. Rick no longer trusted to be able to close his eyes at night wondering if Carol would decide HE or Carl or Judith was a threat. She was making decisions based solely on what helped them survived. AND she has shown no remorse at all. Judith could easily been seen as a danger in the future if she starts crying too much. You don’t need someone in the midst of the group that you can’t trust how they will treat you when your back is turned. Carol broke the trust of EVERYONE in that prison by killing two friends in their sleep. I frankly hope she comes back on the show, but it will take some sort of serious act of contrition and redemption to make me want her back with the group.

Well put @Lily……..The TRUST is really an issue this unknown virus going around the prison has everybody on the edge. Carol HAD no remorse what so ever and it made her a cold hearted bitch.Rick had made a good call to ban her……just going to wait and see in the next couple of eps. if she’s coming back and somehow redeem herself if not well…..it’s her lost.

To contain an outbreak you have to get rid of the source of the infection aka Karen and What’s his Face. Yes we had little Woody Allen dying first, but the second and third victim of the disease were the two Carol put down (and yes, I mean it the way it reads). Wethere right or wrong, she was trying to contain the disease from spreading. Obviously this didn’t work as more and more people became infected, but this means there were no longer any reason for Carol to keep killing. So why still consider her a threat? She tried to contain an outbreak, it didn’t work. How ever cold it may be there’s a difference between being logical (and you may argue inhumane) and a psycopath.

With that said I would love this show ten times over of it turned out that Carol was covering for Carl.

WTF? I hate to see Carol being cast out. I am Absolutely on her side here.

What she did, was abhorrent but absolutely necessary. That reality does not support the pre-zombie societal norms. I think one would naturally become detached and appear cold after going through all that she has gone through. Were I in her shoes, I would have handled it the exact same way (unless it was Daryl who was sick, then I would have kept him as a pet and fed the others to him of course).

Well said. I can see where Carol was coming from and can even get on board with what she did being the right thing. Rules are different in this world, we’ve seen it time and time again. I’ve come to really appreciate what we’ve been getting with Beth lately. Her trying to stay a bit cold and detached, telling Maggie that they don’t get to be upset because everyone has a job to do. It really makes a lot of sense. In the world they are currently living in there isn;’ much time for being scared and upset. Everyone has to pull their weight and try to just keep everyone alive. Carol may have done something terrible but it was for the greater good. Unfortunately it didn’t turn out to be the solution she was aiming for but she really was thinking of the survival of as many people as possible when she killed Karen and David.

Remind me never to room with YOU in a zombie apocalypse! You might decide my high blood pressure is a risk to the group when we’re on the run and therefore should be left to die or killed in my sleep.
Oh, so Carol wouldn’t do that? How do you know? That’s exactly the point. Rick no longer trusts her around the group. Especially since she shows no remorse.
You have to be veeeery careful on that slippery slope called “the greater good”!! Because the very first question I have is: “Who decides?”

Carol killed friends who were sick and locked up, thus no danger to anyone. What is her problem? Were they disturbing her or anyone? what do you think tyrese would do to her if he finds out that it was carol who killed his gf? Daryl will go look after your murderous heroin carol don’t worry. Besides carol is not dead. She’s strong and tough enough to survive on her own.

Does anyone else wonder if maybe Carol will show up in season 2 of the walking dead game?? It was said that the two mediums were going to have some cross-over… Maybe that’s where she will go for awhile??

As much as I’d love her to find Clementine, I doubt that Carol’s story on this version of TWD tv show is even remotely close to being done. After all this wonderful character development to one of the most 3-dimensional characters on the show. I doubt she’ll be gone for long.

wow i liked Carol but i saw this coming from the start of the episode. it was the right thing to do Rick had no choice it was pretty clear from the start of the season she lost her way. very well done by Gimple and the writers. I suspect this isn’t going to go over well with Daryl. I hope we see Carol again Melissa McBride did such a wonderful job with her.

Everyone turns cold in that world, Carl, Rick, Shane and even Lori saying she slept with Shane to “feel something” I would think shooting, stabbing and burning walking rotting corpses would turn anyone cold, they were once human duh! You lose your whole family and are expected to be bright and cheery, ironing the sheriffs uniform? My point being, they all changed Rick didn’t like how Carol changed so he made her leave, he didn’t give her a second chance like he did everyone else and that was a bad move on his part. He’ll probably say she didn’t make it and anyone who cares for her will be upset. She’ll come back some how and I’m glad because I love Carol, maybe she’ll realize she got cold and come back just like Rick and Carl did.

My theory: When Rick gets back to the prison the little girl who is sick (Lizzie i think??) is going to step up and admit to killing Karen and David, and Rick is going to be like “oh dear god what have i done!?!?!”
Also why would the writers/directors make Melissa McBride a season regular (appear in the opening credits) if she wasn’t gonna be around for the whole season, so its obvious she’s gonna be back (thank god).
Another one of my theory’s/fantasies: Carol finds the governor, pretends she is against the group and convinces him she left them, and then kills him in his sleep (something i wished Andrea did before her death)
I also hope Daryl goes absolutely crazy when he finds out that Rick left Carol there OR Rick tells the prison group that she died and then she comes back and Daryl will hopefully murder Rick (not really, maybe just hurt him a bit)
I think what Rick did was out of order, he can’t just step back and let everyone else take charge then suddenly change his mind and start making decisions for the group. He wasn’t even part of the council – correct me if i’m wrong – he should have taken her back and let the council decide what to do with her.
The Walking Dead forever (even if my favorite characters die, because I am a true Walking Dead lover and am going to watch this TV series all the way until they find a cure, everyone dies, or the series ends – which ever comes first) :):):)

I almost went the “Lizzie did it” route after reading the threads above, but how is it she could unlock the cells, drag both those bodies out, find oh so scarce gasoline and then light them on fire all by herself with nobody the wiser? Shocked as I was when she admitted it, this one is probably on Carol…..then all the frazzled tipping of water tanks and such makes more sense. I bet either Lizzie or her sister could be in a situation only Carol can solve down the road and work her way back in to the group. Drunk wannabe Bob has to be a mole for the Guv, right?

It’s one thing to be careless with characters when you have 8 to 10m viewers…..quite another after having nearly 20m for the season 4 opener. You want to stay edgy, but you also don’t want to kill the golden goose. If Carol is going to be written off the show they would do it with much more finality than her driving off with a gassed up car and seriously bad attitude. Even Merle came back from worse than that…….oh, and Morgan.

I agree with you. Rick’s hypocrisy is pretty much the main theme of every season and of the series itself. He’s a huge hypocrite and represents a catch 22 situation everyone is in. The problem is he knows he should be leading the way and is too much of a coward to do it. Just like he let Shane let his guard down and THEN killed him. Just like he wouldn’t go back for Andrea at the end of Season 2 because she stood up for Shane. I am not sure if it’s inconsistent writing or Rick’s duality is a character flaw. I know it’s not the writing. But Carol mentioned that he killed Shane in cold blood because he was a threat. “He was going to kill me.” And he got rid of her because she was a danger to her family when in truth she was a danger to his authority. He only takes charge when he is in direct danger. And remember, he has been a Sheriff’s Deputy and is used to being in charge. He is not being honest with himself about how much he craves power. Merle even told him that he was a ruthless human being in S3E15 “This Sorrowful Life”. Rick either doesn’t trust his decision making or he’s afraid of what he is capable of. I think it’s the ladder. That’s why he rejects leadership until he’s in personal danger. That’s why he took the gun away from Carl (ol’Jack is preachin’ to ya now). He knows Carl is realizing something that he already knows but doesn’t want to admit. Carl was right to kill that kid. It’s not worth the risk of those you care about. Morality and it’s code has changed in this new world. What was right 3 years ago isn’t right now, it’s dangerous. That’s why The Governor has survived and has had people follow him because he’s able to act like a moral leader who makes the hard, but righteous decisions to those around him and able to justify it to himself. The Governor is going to take it to a new level now because he’s out for revenge. So Rick’s family is in danger no matter what. Them not going after The Gov to finish the job after the failed prison attack is going to get many people killed. They’re dead already as the virus has proven but the virus is just a sign of things to come. HERE COMES PHILLIP!!! Rick is just stuck in limbo. He has frozen because he has suffered trauma and loves his kids so much that any chance they have to experience as little of the new world as possible, he’s going to act accordingly.

Carol was wayward back when Carl found her doing cutlery show and tell with the library youth club. Rick files this tidbit away until unrolling Carol’s one slot empty knife storage in the back of the SUV. Meanwhile, Carol confides in Lizzy to keep said missing knife on the outside of her t-shirt for easier access and “don’t be afraid to kill!” Already blessed with a plethora of hungry zombies, perhaps metro Georgia prison and vicinity could do without adding to their otherwise capable ranks……case in point: Herschel urging Carl not to shoot the walker when they were out gathering tea leaves. Not necessary he says….we can outrun it. Teachable moment time somewhere.
I think they accelerated Carol to this juncture faster than makes sense….you need to show hints more than an episode or two back when in the midst of season 4. However, Carol is totally redeemable which is a highly coveted skill set in the post apocalypse. If you can get past your irritation of how they handle specific favored/unfavored characters, the writing is so much more coherent this year (agreed the vet clinic excursion is really dragging)……however, there actually is a discernible theme: can bleeding heart flawed humanity goodness and caring prevail over kill them faster than they kill you zombie-ism?

Carol is going to join The Governor’s group and maybe even fall in love with him. She is used to abusive bad boy types. She will do anything to survive now. She will do anything to keep HERSELF alive, which is what The Governor is about. She will end up attacking the prison with The Governor, kill baby Judith and then kill The Governor at the end of the season. It will be the death of either Judith or those two children she looked after that will bring her back to humanity and she will either kill The Governor and then kill herself or just the ladder. You heard it here folks. She is close to being a full blown sociopath and I think The Governor will push her right to that edge and maybe over. Rick is a total hypocrite. He will tell Carol flat out that he is keeping her away from his kids. But he will either lie or tell the group that she died or he banished her to keep everyone safe. He will revert to middle-to-end Season 2 when he doesn’t tell the group about everyone being infected and turning no matter how they die. The whole point of the show is people either live scared and become bait or people take action and do what it takes to survive. After Rick lost ties with Lori and Shane, he lost all grips with reality. He hides behind his kids while other people suffer. So by being strong and doing nothing, Rick is killing people indirectly. He doesn’t want to make a decision because he doesn’t want to lose his sanity again and because he wants Carl to be normal. But his son is more with it than he is. After a couple more seasons, Carl should off Rick because he’s going to get everyone killed. Or he’s going to get his baby killed because he won’t be vigilant enough. Rick’s indecisiveness is due to the fact that he knows what he’s capable of. He started beating the crap out of Ty because he is the Alpha Male and doesn’t take crap from anybody. “Anybody that comes between me and my family is gonna lose”..paraphrasing what he told Merle in the 2nd episode of the Season 1 “Guts”. The Governor is going to kill people he loves this season. It’s inevitable. And because he didn’t act sooner and eliminate threats as they come, it’s going to make him more insane and into more of an animal. Then again, maybe getting rid of Carol was the first step of him being less of a farmer and more of The Sheriff. By the way, did anyone notice someone wearing an orange shirt in his rear view mirror in the last scene? These vague imagines flashed in and out. Weird.

she isn’t gone for good i don’t think so anyway.. maybe she has a film coming up or a guest starring role and needed a few weeks off to film that. daryl will go find her anyway unless rick says that she died. maybe it’s a good thing she is gone, i liked carol last year but killing two innocent people this year i thinks she is losing it or finally showing her true nature

I am a huge fan of Carol! I was so happy that she was getting such an increased role but certainly didn’t like that turn of events last night. I don’t believe she is off the show though. There are plenty of other storylines for her. I just hate that she is away from the main group the way Andrea was last season. I hope Daryl goes ape on Rick for this! Rick should not have made this decision on his own. It should have gone to Council. I am curious if Rick will tell the truth about this to everyone.

I’m surprised that more people aren’t commenting on this. No ne else knew that Carol was the murderer so why all the concern over Tyreese killing her? If Carol and Rick are the only 2 that know what she did then it shouldn’t be an issue. Rick is certainly under no obligation to tell Tyreese, or anyone else for that matter. Considering he banished her without involving anyone else first, I see no reason why he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, perhaps give Carol some conditions to be allowed to stay and if she couldn’t adhere to those dconditions or continued to rasie Rick’s concerns, then kick her out.

You have to be kidding! Trust is the most important – and delicate – aspect of human relations. If Rick DOESN’T tell the group the truth about what happened, including what he did about it, then I’ll have a problem with him. But he did what he did because he could no longer trust Carol. That’s the bottom line. She is broken. She’s turned off her emotions and is going to a dark place that isn’t healthy. I don’t care how you describe it, Carol crossed the line by killing two defenseless people in their sleep when they couldn’t be certain they would die overnight.
(BTW, Tripoli, I just realized I’m responding to a lot of your comments. Sorry! Not trying to gang up on you! Just guess your comments cause me to want to debate!) :)

I disagree. If Daryl chose Rick and the group over Merle when he went back to the prison, he will understand Rick’s decision with this. It could be bumpy, I agree. But Daryl and Rick respect each other. Daryl completely understands what it means to lose trust in a person who is supposed to have your back. If Carol all of a sudden feels entitled to kill innocent people in their sleep for her own reasons, Daryl may be conflicted at losing her, but he has to understand why Rick did what he did.
That’s the problem with a lot of the discussion among fans. You forget that people still have (or do not have) character. This story is about a person who LOST her character. She is broken. Daryl has developed his own character and lives by a code that is basic and understandable. He will be sorry Carol is gone, but he will totally get the fact that Rick didn’t trust Carol any more and that it was dangerous to Carol (and Tyrese and the group as a whole) for her to stay. He didn’t kill her, he sent her on her way with a car and gasoline.
It is, in fact, Rick’s character and the conflict between the kind of man (and policeman) he was, and the kind of person he has had to become, that is causing him to be inconsistent. HE (unlike Carol) hasn’t lost his soul, and it causes inner turmoil. It’s irritating sometimes – especially for a leader – but he still knows what the right thing to do is. For his family and for his extended family.

He’s not in love with her. You seriously don’t know how to judge characters at all. He loves her as a person but definitely isn’t in love with her. And if anything Rick saved Carol because one things for sure, Tyreese was going to avenge his gf and David.

Killing Karen and David (?) was a Shane move, so Rick quietly removing her from the group was not an unexpected move. I don’t know if she’s necessarily gone – the Governor is still out there, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them somehow end up in a future storyline together (not as a couple or even allies, mind you, but it may be a way for her back in…. perhaps).

I was torn between this episode until reading what the other side thought. At first I thought he should’ve consulted with the council but he did give her several chances to show remorse or empathy or anything. But she truly did fail his 3 question test. The way she was to the hippies was cold also. But in all honesty… where was her character going? In season 1 she was there.. in season 2 Sophia story arc was there.. season 3… she took care of the baby? season 4 she had to go.. she was getting paid to show up and just be there… lol… rick was justified … what she should do is go back to the prison and collect her stuff… and be like yeah I killed those infected SOB’s to protect the rest of us… so suck my snatch bitches..lol.. but she should meet up with the guvnuh and be like you want michonne.. I want ricks head…

I understand why Rick told her to leave.
Regardless of what Rick may or may not have done in the past, the fact is that this is something he couldn’t keep between the two of them…and it’s not something she wouldn’t cause enormous problems among the remaining.
Tyreese will flip (though I feel like Carol could legit kill him atm)
People will freak out when they find out that someone who’s supposed to be protecting them was so willing to kill “their own” (let’s be real, these people are not “their own”), So you can’t have that.
But I still can’t find anything wrong with Carol’s reasoning. Was her execution completely selfish with a selfless facade..yes. But frankly what she did made sense…it’s just too terrible of a thing to carry through with without generating conflict.
Obviously everyone’s just thinking she’d have been better of waiting for them to die…but I feel like she was thinking “what if they don’t die soon enough” because we all saw how fast Tyreese went looking for Karen even while knowing she was sick so it was just a matter of time before Tyreese essentially made the disease spread at a much more destructive rate.
Her decision is simply one of those decisions that just far too hard to make…and the fact that she made it is…impressive to me honestly. As much as we all want to scold Carol for being crazy/psycho/sociopath…idealistically her stance in the zombie apocalypse is one of the best.
She can’t afford heartache, not for herself or for anyone else…so she takes care of the problem before it causes any more heartache than necessary.
At the end of the day, I’m sure Carol knew what her fate would be if she decided to go through with this…but I think she was more aware of the fact that Tyreese is far too thickheaded to not prevent a spreading of the disease.
I also think Rick ought to at least realize that Tyreese is heavily unreliable atm. Carol noticed that and eliminated a future issue by taking on the hell herself.
A leader is supposed to be able to do that.

My wife and I disagree with the Carol thing. I personally look at what Carol did as being proactive. As horrible as that sounds in a world like twd the people who survive are those willing to do the horrible things. I was a fan of Shane because he did what was needed rather it be beat a hole in Carol’s husbands head for beating on her, or sacrificing a guy he didn’t know to save himself, and in turn Itty bitty Carl. My wife sees it as a normal person would and knows it is wrong to sacrifice, and murder people while they sleep.

Harrison, I respect your opinion, but I have a question for you – and others who can so easily forgive what Carol did as being proactive or what was “the best thing” for the group or for the greater good: What if Daryl or Hershel were the first ones sick (suspending belief for millisecond that Daryl would sleep through his own death) and Carol killed THEM in the exact same scenario? Would you have a harder time accepting what she did? I think some people have to realize they are finding it easy to justify Carol’s action because they hadn’t had time to become personally attached to Karen or what’s-his-name (David).
Not only was what Carol did WRONG (evil), it robbed everyone who learns of it of the ability to trust her. Period. Rick no longer trusts her, and he knows others would feel the same way. And trust is important, even in the apocalypse.

Can you get the hell over it?
Dammit. Carl could sit in a chair and listen to rick and do absolutely nothing and he’d be the badguy for sitting on the chair too long.
There are things I dislike about carl because of what he’s done but he’s evidently making a turn around and thank god for it.

Carl has been a pain in the ass and most likely will but it will be a matter of time when he does something stupid again. As for making a turn around? uh….. just a little he shouldn’t get that gun back from his dad but he did just a matter of time……

WOW – color me (somewhat) speechless, because I’m not sure what I just watched. The whole Carol banishment seemed completely forced and ridiculous. I can’t tell if it is just bad writing or the writers trying to make us hate Rick as much as possible. Maybe both. I understand that the point is to paint Rick as a hypocrite, but I feel like this has been subtle the entire way through and now we are just getting slapped in the face with it, and its is frustrating. And I’m sorry but I just don’t think that what Carol did was that bad – these people are dying in a matter of hours after showing symptoms, and you have to factor in the added worry that these people will turn to walkers inside the prison. Yes, they were locked up, but who is to say that the sickness isn’t transmitted by air due to blood exposure? Carol did what Rick couldn’t and tried to solve the problem with these two sick people rather than letting it get to the situation where it is now. Moreover, I don’t understand how Rick could possibly think that it is better to take Carol out on this mission, have a series of heart-to-hearts with her, and then banish her, taking almost a full day – while Rick’s kids are in the prison being exposed to the sickness. By the time he gets back more people will be dead – where is his sense of urgency? Oy. I just can’t wait to see Daryl get in Rick’s face the way he did with Bob tonight. It’s time.

So carol kills 2 innocent people who are absolutely no threats in cold blood and you see nothing wrong with that? Rick is trying to keep the peace by keeping her away from the wrath of tyrese and others. This woman cannot be trusted!! She can even kill baby Judith and other innocent children and justify it as necessary. Teaching children how to slash and kill with a knife without the permission of their parents or the council. She even went as far as asking Carl to lie to his dad for her. She’s disgusting!! Undermining every one just because of your personal beliefs!! And Rick is trying really hard to be a better father to his children and you want him to expose them to this woman who feels no remorse for her dastardly actions!! She’s a loose cannon!! But never worry Rick will go back for her!!

What? Sure they were innocent when they were alive and NOT DEATHLY ILL. They presented HUGE threats to the well-being of the group. Did you even watch the first episode? The community went to bed and woke with 15 walkers inside the prison. Carol tried to neutralize the threat, thinking that the disease might end with them and not spread. Sure, she didn’t know what she was doing, but at least she did something. Rick, on the other hand, just had his green thumb up his ass.

yes I watched that episode. Did you? Because if you did you would have seen that Karen and David were isolated from the rest of the group and locked up within 2 doors. And therefore no threat to anyone. Or is it your understanding that the walkers now know how to open and operate locks!! Carol murdered them for no reason whatsoever and is not remorseful at all. Although it was sad to watch, Rick gave her every opportunity to show that she regretted her actions. I remember when carol was useless and weak, did anyone kill or abandon her? Just picture that your spouse or kids are sick then imagine carol killing them because they might not survive. She’s turning into a monster!!

They were dead on arrival into those cells. No one knew whether or not the disease could spread through the exposure of the blood that would eventually pour out of their eyeballs and cause their heads to explode. And, in fact, the bloody pillows evidence that that progression might have taken place before they were ultimately killed. Conceptions of what is right and wrong change during the zombie apocalypse. If you’re calling Carol a monster because of this, then what is Rick for killing Shane? He posed no threat to the group (only Rick, as he even admitted this episode), so by your same logic, Rick is also a monster and perhaps not in a position to be deciding who is or isn’t one.

This episode really showed how useless the Rick character has become. While he was playing farmer, Carol stepped up and became a leader. She made choices that everyone may not agree with but then so has every other character on the show. Rick can’t even manage his own kids (well make that his kid and Shane’s baby) let alone run the group. I do think that Carol will be back…either on TWD or the spinoff since her character is very popular (remember the outcries when viewers thought 2 newby actors were promoted to series regular before Melissa McBride?

The best thing about the episode was no Carl and no babysitter. That was refreshing. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to find a vehicle…can’t they just go to a car lot?

^^^Exactly Billy Jean J……I was struck how pointless the Rick character is now without Shane conflict, Laurie or reliable DNA testing. In the comic (haven’t read them, but from what I hear) he and Andrea were supposed to hook up. Absent that, to me Daryl is arguably way more interesting as a character and leader…..his tussle with Bob outside the vet clinic was edge of your set stuff. Seriously thought he was going to toss Bob over. Probably will later wish he did.

and no matter what you all think, Rick has so many fans that no matter what you do to destroy his character, his fans will always support and respect him. You hate him for kicking carol off? We love him for a gazzillion other reasons!! Long live the Rick!!!!